PSTN calls on Skype

iwb

A friend of mine tipped me off to this. I was on Skype 0.97 and it wasn't there but when I downloaded 0.98, there is a new tab. You basically put in some call credit with your credit card, I chose 10 Euro worth.
I am just off a call to Alberta in Canada. I spent 24 minutes on to a mobile there for 30c. Quality was great for all but about five seconds. Not sure if it was his mobile or the net. In fact, I wasn't sure he was there most of the time as there was no background noise at all.
I have used a Cisco Softphone for two years to call Alberta but that is no longer in place. This is better in some ways as there are no VPN's to deal with and the quality is better too I think.
While they warn that as with the Skype software itself, SkypeOut is in beta, so far so good.
Try it and post your impressions here for the benefit of others.

For the totally uninitiated, this is a piece of software you download for free. It runs on Windows, Linux and PocketPC. You will need a mic and headphones, or a dedicated headset to talk with it. Calls to other Skype users are free and now with the new service you can call anyone with an ordinary landline for very low cost.
Check it out at www.skype.com

bk

Originally posted by iwb

For the totally uninitiated, this is a piece of software you download for free. It runs on Windows, Linux and PocketPC.

Cool, I hadn't realised that they had the Linux client out yet

iwb

Yes and if someone could tell me how to go about running it on a Mandrake 10 machine, I would be ecstatic. I thought I did it all right but no idea if it loaded or not. Can't find any icons or whatever. Curse of being a windows guy and having no clue about linux.

markyboy

Would your party in Canada been subject to call charges?

iwb

Good question. Now that you mention it, yes he would. In Canada, the receiver pays for the call aswell as the sender. However, I don't think it is like roaming in Europe. He pays a set cost for the call no matter where to call comes from.
It will be different all over the world. The point is it will be cheaper using Skype than almost any other way. I would've been calling him from a landline here and he would have incurred the same cost either way.

kin9pin

Quote "SkypeOut is currently only available when you buy a special Plantronics-Skype bundled headset and receive a free promotional voucher"
Did you just download it and you could use it?

iwb

Yes, I just downloaded and used it. In fact, after my buddy told me about it, I had a quick look on the site and didn't find anything. I noticed a new version and when I downloaded it, there was a new tab which allowed me to do it.
Maybe as an existing user it is allowed but for a new user it is the plantronics deal?

kin9pin

excellent, thanks. I have 0.97 atm so I'll give it a go tonight. Don't suppose they've published call charges have they?

iwb

Sure have but I can only see a link to it from my account so I can't see how to copy and paste. I'm sure it wouldn't work anyway.
Basically, 1.4c per minute to most parts of Europe for landlines including Ireland. 17.2c/m for Irish mobiles.

HelterSkelter

How much is it for UK mobiles?

spongebob

Originally posted by iwb
Sure have but I can only see a link to it from my account so I can't see how to copy and paste. I'm sure it wouldn't work anyway.
Basically, 1.4c per minute to most parts of Europe for landlines including Ireland. 17.2c/m for Irish mobiles.

These guys Here are only

1.26c to US Mobiles and Landlines evening and weekends
1.26c to Most EU Landlines in the evening and weekend
4.92c to Irish Mobiles eves and weekends
8.20c to Irish Mobiles daytime

And that over and Eirocm line thru Eircom.

No account necessary , works from any landline . Sound quality can vary a bit .

HTH

M

Tom Dunne

Originally posted by iwb
A friend of mine tipped me off to this. I was on Skype 0.97 and it wasn't there but when I downloaded 0.98, there is a new tab. You basically put in some call credit with your credit card, I chose 10 Euro worth.

Just curious - do you enter the credit card details directly onto Skype, or do you sign up on the website?

I'm currently downloading both the PC version and the PDA version...

(I should point out that I am at work and that I can't run the program, that's why I ask).

iwb

Cost for UK mobiles is 17 to 20c per minute.
Thanks for the link Muck. There are so many options out there now, nobody should be using eircom anymore for calls.
Tom, you click on a link in Skype which brings you to a secure site. All the business is done there. Your remaining credit is staring you in the face every time you make a call on Skype too which is very cool.

K!LL!@N

Originally posted by Muck
These guys Here are only

1.26c to US Mobiles and Landlines evening and weekends
1.26c to Most EU Landlines in the evening and weekend
4.92c to Irish Mobiles eves and weekends
8.20c to Irish Mobiles daytime

And that over and Eirocm line thru Eircom.

No account necessary , works from any landline . Sound quality can vary a bit .

HTH

M

Do you use this much, Muck?
It seems too good to be true.
I'll probably try it later.
I had been using swiftcall cards for a long time but it's local call plus 4c a minute.
Which isn't all that great really.

Anyway, cheers.

Killian

oscarBravo

Originally posted by K!LL!@N
Do you use this much, Muck?
It seems too good to be true.

I rang my brother in London yesterday to test it - it wasn't any different from any time I've ever called him directly.

HelterSkelter

Originally posted by K!LL!@N
Do you use this much, Muck?
It seems too good to be true.
I'll probably try it later.
I had been using swiftcall cards for a long time but it's local call plus 4c a minute.
Which isn't all that great really.

Anyway, cheers.

Killian

I called London last night for over an hour and no problems whatsoever. There seems to be no catch!

spongebob

Those Telestunt charges are about 30c a minute from an o2 mobile , pre or post pay , at all times except 1890 which is 25c a min eves and weekends .

Also works fine so store it on your mobile too ....

M

HelterSkelter

Here's the link for the skype prices...

https://secure.skype.com/store/help.pricelist.html?service=pstn&popup=true

Mutant_Fruit

1.26c to Most EU Landlines in the evening and weekend

Not that much cheaper than eircom is it, considaring eircoms charge is 1.26c a min...

They are 0.04c cheaper than IOL, so i suppose there is a small saving there.

Would anyone be kind enought to do up a table of price comparisons?

EDIT: SKYPE charge 1.4c a min for irish calls, while eircom and IOL are cheaper! Am i missing something here?

HelterSkelter

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
Not that much cheaper than eircom is it, considaring eircoms charge is 1.26c a min...

They are 0.04c cheaper than IOL, so i suppose there is a small saving there.

Would anyone be kind enought to do up a table of price comparisons?

The price he quoted was to EU landlines, not Irish ones.

€ircon charge:

UK Daytime 15.35c
Evening 14.43c
Weekend 12.44c
UK Mobile Daytime 34.57c
Evening 27.65c
Weekend 27.65c
Near Europe Daytime 24.20c
Evening 24.20c
Weekend 24.20c
Mid Europe Daytime 38.72c
Evening 38.72c
Weekend 38.72c
Mobiles for Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland Daytime 48.25c

K!LL!@N

I'd be more worried about hidden costs than the quality.

Killian

Mutant_Fruit

i assumed an irish landline WAS an EU landline... Still, the benefit for ringing just irish people is zero. I don't think we'll be ditching eirom/IOL yet

EDIT: http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/Sn1_pt2.pdf Unless i'm seriously misreading something, eircom have quite the competitive offer (for IRISH calls)...

spongebob

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
Not that much cheaper than eircom is it, considaring eircoms charge is 1.26c a min...

They are cheaper than Eircom to every single destination on the planet, at all times, save Irish National and Local calls at the weekend where they cost the same.

They only charge €0.33c a min to porn dialler countries where Eircom charges €3.61...for example. .

At the moment (after 6PM ) it is 1.26c a minute by ringing 1890 943 123 to land lines in :

Australia
Uk
France
Germany
US (Fixed and mobile)
Canada (Fixed and Mobile)
Austria
Brazil
Germany
Argentina
Belgium
Holland
Luxembourg
Cork
Croatia
Czech Republic
Galway
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Iran
Dublin
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Norway
New Zealand
Poland
Spain
South Africa
Cavan
Sweden
Switzerland

How can anyone beat that ?

M

HelterSkelter

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
i assumed an irish landline WAS an EU landline... Still, the benefit for ringing just irish people is zero. I don't think we'll be ditching eirom/IOL yet

True, but for people like me who call the UK at least 10 hours a week, it's a massive saving

spongebob

Eventually most of thise destinations will be on the 0818 number where they will cost 4.92c a minute eves and weekends, still a whopping saving though.

beats the crap outta fly by night callcards and they even pay our government 21% vat as I understantd it.

M

K!LL!@N

Just gave telestunt a try.
Very, very impressed with it.
The quality was great much better than swiftcall.
With swiftcall i'd sometimes get crosstalk and and i could here modems and people dialling numbers etc.

So just so i have this straight again.
If i dial the 1890 number i get charged at eircom local rate?
And that's all i'm charged?

If this is definitely the case, then they can consider me converted.

Killian

spongebob

Originally posted by K!LL!@N
The quality was great much better than swiftcall.

So just so i have this straight again.
If i dial the 1890 number i get charged at eircom local rate?
And that's all i'm charged?

You have it straight.

I believe that SKYPE is a better deal to MOBILE numbers in many of those countries I listed earlier and may turn out better to landlines if Telestunt migrate the landline destinations to an 0818 number over time.

At present Telestunt is the best deal in town

M

iwb

The reason I posted this in 'broadband' is that if you don't receive your broadband via DSL or if you share a dsl line wirelessly with others, Skype will save you the almost 25 euro a month.
Of course voipirl.ie will do the same but they charge 50 euro once off and I haven't tried them out yet. As I don't have a landline but only use broadband wirelessly, I am delighted to use Skype for the calls that are too expensive on my mobile.

K!LL!@N

Originally posted by Muck
You have it straight.

I believe that SKYPE is a better deal to MOBILE numbers in many of those countries I listed earlier and may turn out better to landlines if Telestunt migrate the landline destinations to an 0818 number over time.

At present Telestunt is the best deal in town

M

Have used it twice since last night.
I'm amazed more people aren't using it.
Just out of interest.
If i was using say esat's home phone package where you pay a flat rate of, i think, €25 for unlimited local calls would telestunt calls come under this?
Or would they be charged seperately?

Killian

HelterSkelter

Originally posted by K!LL!@N
Have used it twice since last night.
I'm amazed more people aren't using it.
Just out of interest.
If i was using say esat's home phone package where you pay a flat rate of, i think, €25 for unlimited local calls would telestunt calls come under this?
Or would they be charged seperately?

Killian

Nope, unfortunatly the Esat flat rate package doesn't cover calls to 1890, 0818, etc. It's only for national calls (01, 021, etc)

K!LL!@N

Originally posted by HelterSkelter
Nope, unfortunatly the Esat flat rate package doesn't cover calls to 1890, 0818, etc. It's only for national calls (01, 021, etc)

Was worth a try.

Killian

oscarBravo

Just to throw in the usual cautionary note about Skype: it's not standards-based. That means that you can't use Skype to call any other VoIP user - only other Skype users and (with this development) PSTN numbers.

topgold

I'm being charged EUR 0.01 a minute for calls from my Skype phone in Kilkenny to cell phones in several States in America. The quality is better than when I call from my mobile to their mobile. It's also coolbeing able to Skype over Wi-Fi from my kitchen table.

cgarvey

I use skype alot .. skype user-to-user calls are free.. and skype-to-PSTN are a lot cheaper than telestunt for peak time calls.

1 in every 5 or 6 calls goes funny on me though, so I have to hang up and dial again (both Skype and SkypeOut calls). It just goes all "twangy" (is the best I can describe it as, sorry!!) .. and you can very barely hear the other person.

Apart from that .. it has saved me a fortune .. I've never had reason to use telestunt, but I would defo give them a try if I made off peak calls anywhere.

.cg

K!LL!@N

I tried skype a couple times with different versions.
It's just not great having to be at the computer, when making the calls.
I might try it again with the latest version and see what it's like.

Killian

fatherdougalmag

It seems that there's a P2P element to their directory maintenance in that it's shared. Read here. As a consequence, it uses bandwidth even when you're not on a call. Just a couple of things to consider.

DannyD

iwb wrote:

For the totally uninitiated, this is a piece of software you download for free. It runs on Windows, Linux and PocketPC. You will need a mic and headphones, or a dedicated headset to talk with it. Calls to other Skype users are free and now with the new service you can call anyone with an ordinary landline for very low cost.
Check it out at www.skype.com

Macos X also.

DannyD

topgold wrote:

I'm being charged EUR 0.01 a minute for calls from my Skype phone in Kilkenny to cell phones in several States in America. The quality is better than when I call from my mobile to their mobile. It's also coolbeing able to Skype over Wi-Fi from my kitchen table.

The price for calls to US cell phones is €0.017 a min, or 2cent a min including vat... http://skype.com/products/skypeout/rates/all_rates.html . Don't know where yours getting €0.010 from ?

I'm confused as SkypeOut has two rates/packages, one called the global rate which is 1.7 cent a min and covers the EU ,US and Australia but only includes landlines.Calls to Irish mobile numbers are €0.190 , 19 cents a min. 19 cent a min to a mobile number in Ireland isn't amazingly cheap and you must consider that call are rounded up to the min.If you speak for 5 seconds it's still 19 cent. Am I missing something ?

Ebonyks

Babble is another VOIP service...but calls are free to UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe mainland. You don't need a credit card to register, just some details and you have an account.

If anyone tries it, come back and tell me what the quality is like. I think it may be a sound prob at my end, but i'm coming through very low in volume.

carrotcake

fine for me. as good as skype

Krusty_Clown

K!LL!@N wrote:

It's just not great having to be at the computer, when making the calls.
Killian

Some good news then.. Siemens has just announced their release of an adapter for their gigaset cordless phones, to allow you to make calls using Skype..

Only works with Siemens Gigagest phones at the moment, but I would expect other manufacturers to follow suit quick enough..

Article here
Adapter Here

cranoo

Im after been onto america (mobile) england (landline) for what seems ages with skype, quality no prob, and all for 50 cents

iwb

Yes, it is great. Now all we need is Skypein. I never bothered getting an eircom line in the house but it is still a bit of a problem as friends and family call us on our mobiles which is expensive.
We have tried the 'let it ring once and we'll call you back' bit but they are too impatient or forget. Anyway, I think Skypein will be available in a few months and I will wait till then.

causal

iwb wrote:

Yes, it is great. Now all we need is Skypein. I never bothered getting an eircom line in the house but it is still a bit of a problem as friends and family call us on our mobiles which is expensive.
We have tried the 'let it ring once and we'll call you back' bit but they are too impatient or forget. Anyway, I think Skypein will be available in a few months and I will wait till then.

According to [url] http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/voip/voip-blog/skype-keynote.asp [/url] Skypein will be available in July 2005.


But have they released details on how they are going to implement Skypein?
I'm particularly interested in price structure; number allocation; and access numbers from the pots?




causal

BigMoose

If you want an inbound number then why not try www.blueface.ie ? They are VoIP standard compliant so more use for calling other VoIP providers than Skype plus give you the option to have a Dublin (or when available the VoIP 07 range) terminating number.

I've had this set up for almost a month now with a gaget that converts a normal phone (a cordless DECT in my case) to VoIP. It rings when people call me and I can dial out just like a normal phone, except I'm paying 9.99 for the 01 number instead of 25 to eircom per month!

causal

What you say BigMoose certainly suits some users...

But I think some ppl don't want to pay blueface €9.99 per month for 'rental'.
It is better than paying Eircom €20+vat, but if they don't have an existing phoneline then it's €9.99 more than they're paying now.


causal

BigMoose

Absolutely. But the question was about Skypein - I assume the poster meant from the public network since you can get inbound calls from other Skype users at the present (would be fairly useless without!). I'm sure Skype cant give away callable numbers from the public network for free either. So 9.99 for a Dublin number is well worth it. Note with Blueface you dont have to have a Dublin number. You can just use it as a VoIP standards compatible service (unlike Skype) without a terminating number for no cost per month.

I'm not knocking Skype - I have Skype and Blueface installed to cover all, but it is a shame Skype isn't fully VoIP standards compliant though then I could stick to one.

fintan

This is a stupid question but i dont want to make a mistake

Will any headset work with skype / blueface etc ?

Im looking at some plantronics stuff on amazon, some say "skype ready" some dont. Is this just marketing?

Cheers

Fintan

causal

fintan wrote:

This is a stupid question but i dont want to make a mistake

Will any headset work with skype / blueface etc ?

Im looking at some plantronics stuff on amazon, some say "skype ready" some dont. Is this just marketing?

Yes.
You can use whatever device you can use with your PC for sound...
I've used my hifi, normal walkman headphones: both these with PC microphone; and I've used a Plantronics headset.

Some of those Plantronics headsets come with free credit for Skype - or at least that offer was around af ew weeks ago, so I resume it still is.

causal

BigMoose

I also use any headphones/speakers/microphone I feel like for both Skype and Blueface. These use the headphones/mic sockets on the sound card. I have seen USB "phones" advertised but not sure if they work with everything or if they need clever software.

Of course the DECT phone with Blueface is much nicer

fintan

Nice one, next questions is

Any recomendation on decent headsets?

Cheers

Fintan